Filament support-wire detector and ejector



T. HAMILTON 3,265,097

FILAMENT SUPPORT-WIRE DETECTOR AND EJECTOR Aug. 9, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1964 FIG. 2.

. INVENTOR. THU/W75 HflM/ZTU/V.

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'r. HAMILTON 3,265,097

FILAMENT SUPPORT-WIRE DETECTOR AND EJECTOR Aug. 9, 1966 L2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1964 INVENTOR.

MO NTWIG MACH TRANSFER TO VACUUM 4-- G THOMHS HAM/L TON.

United States Patent 3,265,097 FILAMENT SUPPORT-WIRE DETECTGR AND EJECTOR Thomas Hamilton, Verona, NJ, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 343,390 Claims. (Cl. Mil-71.6)

The present invention relates to a filament supportwire detecting and ejecting apparatus and constitutes a part of the usual machine for the production of vitreous lamp stems for incandescent lamps.

Apparatus of the type disclosed and claimed herein is essential with present day automatic lamp making equipment, to reduce manufacturing costs by the elimination of further manufacturing steps required to complete a vitreous stem for an incandescent lamp, in the event such stem is defective because of the absence of the customary filament support-wires extending therefrom. Since automatic stem making machines operate at relatively high speed, it is desirable to detect the absence of any missing filament support-wires at one indexed position of the machine and to make provision in advance that no attempt will be made to mount a filament on the defective lamp stem at a subsequent indexed position of the machine, which would only add to the shrinkage loss.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a filament support-Wire detector and ejector apparatus which ejects a filament from its supply feeder and recovers same, in the event of a defective vitreous lamp stern having missing filament support-wires.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a filament support-wire detector and ejector apparatus wherein any missing filament support-wire is detected at one indexed posit-ion of the stem-making machine and a filament is ejected by the apparatus from its supply feeder to prevent the mounting of such filament at a subsequent indexed position of the machine in the event of a missing filament support-wire.

The foregoing objects of the present invention, together with other objects which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, are achieved by providing a stem-making machine with apparatus comprising a plurality of contacts forming several series-connected switches when bridged by the filament support-wires of a vitreous lamp stem. When so bridged, these switches cause operation of a solenoid valve in a vacuum line extending to a vacuum system. In the event a filament support-wire is missing, thus rendering the vitreous lamp stern defective, the contacts cannot be bridged because of the missing filament support-wire and the solenoid valve then operates to cause a vacuum system to eject a filament from its supply feeder and prevent its being mounted in the defective vitreous lamp stem, thereby recovering the filament and reducing shrinkage loss.

The present invention can be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the filament support-wire detector and ejector apparatus of the present invention disposed adjacent an indexed position of a lamp stemsmaking machine;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partially fabricated vitreous lamp stem prior to the mounting of the customary filament therein;

the cam-operated push-rod 3,265,697 Patented August 9, 1%66 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 111-411 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention taken on the line IV1V of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the contacts and taken on the line VI-VI of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a similar view taken on the line VIIVII of FIG. 5 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the electrical circuitry and vacuum system forming part of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the detection and ejection apparatus of the present invention is reciprocally mounted on the table 5 of the usual type stemmaking machine adjacent an indexed position of its stemcarrying rotatable head 6, as shown particularly in FIG. 1. Such detection and ejection apparatus comprises a support 7 slidable in a horizontal plane on a projection of the table 5 for a total distance d as seen in FIG. 1, by the downward operation of a camoperated push-rod 8 and bell-crank lever 9, with the inner limit of movement of the support 7 relative to the table 5 being regulated by an adjustment screw 10. Extending upwardly from the support 7 is a hollow column 1-2 having a lateral extension 13 to which a vertical guide-pin 14 is secured.

A push-rod 15 is coaxially positioned within the ho]- low column 12 which is connected at its lower end to a cam-operated push-rod 16. At its upper extremity such push-rod 15 carries a contact-supporting plate 17 and immediately t-herebelow is provided with a bifurcated lateral extension 18 through which vertical guidepin 14 extends as well as an adjustment screw 19. Disposed between the hollow column 12 and the push-rod 15 is a tubular push-rod 20 carrying a contact-supporting plate 22 at its upper end and also a short distance therebelow a bifurcated lateral extension 23 through which the guide-pin 14 passes and against which the adjusting screw 19 abuts to thus regulate the minimum distance the respective contact-supporting plates 17 and 22 may approach each other, as hereinafter explained in greater detail.

The lower end of the tubular push-rod 20 is secured by a set-screw or the like '24 to a laterally extending collar 25, the outer extremity of which is pivotally connected to a depending link 26 in turn connected to a rocker arm 27. This rocker arm 27 is pivotally connected at approximately the center thereof to a support 28 depending from the table 5 and at its other extremity is pivotally connected to the push-rod 15. Accordingly, when the cam-operated push-rod =16 is moved downwardly by a rotatable cam (not shown), the push-rod 15 is likewise moved downwardly causing downward movement of the contact-supporting plate 17 until the adjustment screw 19 contacts the lateral extension 23 affixed to the tubular push-rod 20. At the same time such downward movement of push-rod 15 causes counterclockwise rotation of rocker arm 27 about its pivotal connection with the support 28 thus pushing upwardly on line 26 and collar 25 which raises the tubular push-rod 20 and its contactsupporting plate 22. It can thus be appreciated that as 16 is moved downwardly it causes similar downward movement of push-rod 15 and upward movement of tubular push-rod 20 resulting in the contact-supporting plates 17 and 22 approaching each other until the adjustment screw 19 carried by the bifurcated lateral extension 18 contacts similar extension 23 carried by tubular push-rod 20.

By reference now more specifically to FIGS. 4 to 8, it will be noted that contact-supporting plate 17 carries .a block 29 of insulating material provided with a pair of connecting posts '30 and 32 for connection to an electrical circuit, as hereinafter described. In addition, such insulating block 29 is provided with several pairs of aligned contacts which in the present instance, as shown particularly in FIG. 6, comprise three pairs 33-34, 35-36 and 37-38. Contact 33 is electrically bridged to connecting post 32, 34 and '35 are bridged together, 36 and 37 similarly bridged, while contact 38 is bridged to connecting post 30, so that when the connecting posts 30 and 32 are connected to an electric circuit, as shown in FIG. 8, such circuit is interrupted at three places by the gap normally existing between the three pairs of contacts 33-34, 35-36 and 37-38. The contact-supporting plate 22 also carries a block 39 of insulating material having a plurality of spring pressed metallic contacts 40 each one of which is in axial alignment with one of the contacts of each pair carried by the insulating block 29. Such contacts 40 being entirely insulated from each other form no part of the electrical circuit but serve merely as spring pressed bearings engaged by the filament support-wires when pressed downward by the upper mating contacts carried by insulating block 29.

When the rotatable head 6 of the stem making machine carrying a partially fabricated lamp stem 42 is indexed into the position shown in FIG. 1, the detection and injection device of the present invention will have been moved the distance d to thus allow the stem 42 to pass into its .indexed position. Thereafter the support 7 returns to its normal position on the table and at the same time the contact-supporting plates 17 and 22 will move into a position to dispose the respective contacts carried by the insulating blocks 29 and 39 immediately above and below the filament support-wires 43 of the stem 42, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The camoperated push-rod .16 is then moved downward by the machine cam (not shown) thus causing the contactsupporting plates 17 and 22, together with the contacts in their respective insulating blocks, to approach each other as previously mentioned.

Since the stem 42 in this instance is shown provided with three angularly disposed projecting filament supportwires 43, they align with the respective pairs of contacts, 33-34, 35-36 and 37-38, so that when these latter contacts urge the support-wires 43 against the individual spring-pressed contacts 40 a good electrical contact results between the respective pairs of contacts and those filament support-Wires 43 that are present, such as seen in FIG. 1. Accordingly, each filament support-wire 43 acts as a switch closing the gap between each pair of contacts 33-34, 35-36 and 37-38 and since each pair is in an electrical series arrangement, a circuit is closed when all filament support-wi-res 43 are present in the stem 42 but such circuit remains open should any one or more of these support-wires 43 be missing.

In FIG. 8 a circuit arrangement is shown which is connected to the connecting posts 30 and 32 and hence to the above mentioned pairs of contacts. This circuit comprises a source of AC. electrical energy which in the embodiment shown is connected to the winding of a solenoid valve 45 by meansof a normally-closed camoperated switch 46. Normal energization of this solenoid valve 45 maintains such valve in a closed position but when the energizing circuit is interrupted for any reason the valve opens to thus render a vacuum pick-up sys- --tem operative to salvage a filament as hereinafter described. In the operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 8 .the cam-operated switch 46 remains normally closed until after the contact-supporting plates 17 and 22 have approached each other and the pairs of contacts 33-34,

35-36 and 37-38 are then bridged by the respective filament support-wires 43. Since this accordingly constitutes three switches in series with each other, the subsequent opening of the cam-operated switch 46 does not deenergize the solenoid valve 45 because the circuit remains closed by the presence of the filament support-wires bridging the pairs of contacts which accordingly maintains such valve 45 in its closed position. Thereafter the timed operation of the cam 47 again closes the camoperated switch 46 followed by separation of the contactsup-porting plates 17 and 22 leaving the stem 42 with its. proper number of filament support wires 43 ready to be indexed to a subsequent filament-mounting position.

However, if any one of the filament support-wires should be missing thus rendering the stem 42 defective, the respective pairs of contacts carried by the supporting plate 17 could not be bridge to close the circuit to the solenoid valve 45 at the time the cam-operated switch 45 opened, thus resulting in the solenoid valve 45 being deenergized with attendant opening of such valve to render the vacuum pick-up system operative. Such system comprises a vacuum source (not shown) connected by the valve 45 to a sealed container 48 and with the latter in turn connected to a nozzle, or the like, 49 immediately above the filament supply feeder 50. This feeder is disposed adjacent a subsequent index station of the stern machine and when the vacuum pick-up system is rendered operative by interruption of the energizing circuit for the solenoid valve 45, a filament 52 on the supply feeder 50 is ejected therefrom and recovered by depositing in the sealed container 48.

It will be noted from FIG. 8, that the ejected filament 52 is not the one positioned for mounting in the stem then at the indexed filament-mount position of the stem machine, by operation of the transfer arm 53. On the contrary the ejected and salvaged filament 52 is the one intended for the stem 42 then at the detecting position shown in FIG. 1 and found to be defective because of a missing filament support-wire. Consequently, when such defective stem 42 arrives at the indexed filament-mount position of the stem machine no filament is available and hence would not be wasted by mounting thereof in a defective stem, thereby reducing shrinkage loss.

It should thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that a detecting and ejection apparatus is herein provided for detecting the filament support-wires projecting outwardly from a stern for an incandescent lamp. In the event any of such filament support-wires are missing from their intended position, the apparatus operates to eject a filament from the filament supply feeder adjacent a subsequent index position of the stem machine to thus salvage such filament by eliminating the possibility of its being mounted in the defective lamp stem when the latter reaches the indexed filament-mount position of the stem machine.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A filament support-wire detector and ejector apparatus for detecting the absence of a support wire projecting from a lamp stern and ejecting a filament intended therefor from the filament supply feeder for a stem machine, when a defective lamp stem with a missing filament support-wire arrives at an indexed position of the stern machine, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a circuit for energizing and de-energizing a solenoid valve disposed in a vacuum line respectively to close and open such valve,

(b) a plurality of contacts adapted to be connected to each other to complete the circuit to energize said solenoid valve,

(c) means for moving said contacts into engagement with existing filament support-wires projecting from said lamp stem when at its indexed position to cause said circuit to close said solenoid valve, and said circuit remaining open when a lamp stem is defective due to a missing filament support-wire and hence not engaged by said contacts, and

(d) a vacuum system connected to said vacuum line and operable by an open position of said solenoid valve to eject a filament intended for said defective vitreous lamp stem from the filament supply feeder adjacent a subsequent index position of the stem machine to thereby salvage said filament.

2. A filament support-wire detector and ejector apparatus for detecting the absence of a support wire projecting from a lamp stem and ejecting a filament intended therefor from the filament supply feeder for a stem machine, when a defective lamp stem with a missing filament support-wire arrives at an indexed position of the stem machine, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a circuit including a solenoid valve disposed in a vacuum line and normally energized by said circuit to maintain said vacuum line closed,

(b) a plurality of contacts adapted to be connected with each other to cause saidcircuit to continue energization of said solenoid valve with attendant closure of said vacuum line,

(c) means operable to move said contacts into engagement with existing filament support-wires projecting from said vitreous lamp stem when at its indexed position whereby said support-wires connect said contacts with each other to maintain closure of said circuit and energization of said solenoid valve, and said circuit being interrupted with deenergization of said solenoid valve and opening of said vacuum line upon failure of a missing filament support-wire from a defective stem to bridge any of said contacts, and

(d) a vacuum system connected to said vacuum line upon deenergization of said solenoid valve to cause said vacuum system to eject a filament intended for said defective vitreous lamp stem from the filament supply feeder adjacent a subsequent index position of the stem machine to thereby salvage said filament.

3. A filament support-wire detector and ejector apparatus for detecting the absence of a support wire projecting from a lamp stem and ejecting a filament intended therefor from the filament supply feeder for a stem machine when a defective lamp stem with a missing filament support-wire arrives at an indexed position of the stern machine, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a circuit including a normally closed switch and operable to maintain a solenoid-valve disposed in a vacuum line energized with attendant closure of said vacuum line,

(b) a plurality of pairs of contacts adapted to be connected in series with each other to form a series of switches in parallel with said normally closed switch and operable when closed to cause said circuit to continue energization of said solenoid valve upon opening of said normally closed switch,

(c) means operable to move said pairs of contacts into engagement with existing filament support-wires projecting form said lamp stem when at its indexed position to close said parallel series-of-switches and to thereafter cause opening of said normally closed switch whereby said circuit continues to energize said solenoid valve and maintain closure of said vacuum line, and said circuit being interrupted when a missing filament support-wire from a defective stem fails to engage a pair of said contacts with attendant deenergization of said solenoid valve and opening of said vacuum line, and

(d) a vacuum system connected to said vacuum line upon deenergization of said solenoid valve to cause 6 said vacuum system to eject a filament intended for said defective vitreous lamp stem from the filament supply feeder adjacent a subsequent index position of the stern machine to thereby salvage said filament.

4. A filament support wire detector and ejector apparatus for detecting the absence of a support wire projecting from a lamp stern and ejecting a filament intended therefor from the filament supply feeder for a stem machine when a defective lamp stem with a missing filament support wire arrives at an indexed position of the stern machine, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a circuit including a normally closed switch and operable to maintain a solenoid valve disposed in a vacuum line energized with attendant closure of said vacuum line,

(b) a plurality of pairs of contacts carried by adjacent insulated plates and adapted to be connected in series with each other to form a series of switches in parallel with said normally closed switch and operable when closed to cause said circuit to continue energization of said solenoid valve upon opening of said normally closed switch,

(c) means operable to move said insulated plates toward each other to cause said pairs of contacts to clamp existing filament support wires projecting from said vitreous lamp stem when at its indexed position to close said parallel series-of-switches and to thereafter cause opening of said normally closed switch whereby said circuit continues to energize said solenoid valve and maintain closure of said vacuum line, and said circuit being interrupted when a missing filament support-Wire from a defective stem fails to engage a pair of said contacts with attendant deenergization of said solenoid valve and opening of said vacuum line, and

(d) a vacuum system connected to said vacuum line upon deenergization of said solenoid valve .to cause said vacuum system to eject a filament intended for said defective lamp stem from the filament supply feeder adjacent a subsequent index position of said stem machine to thereby salvage said filament.

5. A filament support wire detector and ejector apparatus for detecting a lamp stern which is defective by reason of the absence of a support wire projecting therefrom and ejecting a filament intended therefor from the filament supply feeder for a stem machine when a defective lamp stem with a missing filament support wire arrives at an indexed position of the stem machine, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a circuit including a normally closed switch and operable to maintain a solenoid valve disposed in a vacuum line energized with attendant closure of said vacuum line,

(b) a plurality of pairs of contacts carried by adjacent insulated plates and adapted to be connected in series with each other to form a switch in parallel with said normally closed switch and operable to cause said circuit to continue energization of said solenoid valve upon opening of said normally closed switch,

(0) means for reciprocally moving said insulated plates with their integral pairs of contacts into and out of the path of movement of a lamp stern carried by the stem machine at an indexed position thereof,

(d) means operable to move said insulated plates toward each other to cause said pairs of contacts to clamp existing filament support wires projecting from said vitreous lamp stem when at its indexed position to close said parallel contact switch and to thereafter cause opening of said normally closed switch whereby said circuit continues to energize said solenoid valve and maintain closure of said vacuum line, and said circuit being interrupted when a missing filament support-wire from a defective stern fails to engage a pair of said contacts with attendant deenergization of said solenoid valve and opening of said vacuum line, and

(e) a vacuum system connected to said vacuum line upon deenergization of said solenoid valve to cause said vacuum system to eject a filament intended for said defective vitreous lamp stem from the filament supply feeder adjacent a subsequent index position of the stem machine to thereby salvage said filament.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,719,546 10/ 1955 Grube 140-7l.6 2,764,800 10/1956 Narwood 140-715 X 2,877,806 3/1959 Moehler 140-71.6

JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

W. I. BROOKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FILAMENT SUPPORT-WIRE DETECTOR AND EJECTOR APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE ABSENCE OF A SUPPORT WIRE PROJECTING FROM A LAMP STEM AND EJECTING A FILAMENT INTENDED THEREFOR FROM THE FILAMENT SUPPLY FEEDER FOR A STEM MACHINE, WHEN A DEFECTIVE LAMP STEM WITH A MISSING FILAMENT SUPPORT-WIRE ARRIVES AT AN INDEXED POSITION OF THE STEM MACHINE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A CIRCUIT FOR ENERGIZING AND DE-ENERGIZING A SOLENOID VALVE DISPOSED IN A VACUUM LINE RESPECTIVELY TO CLOSE AND OPEN SUCH VALVE, (B) A PLURALITY OF CONTACTS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT TO ENERGIZE SAID SOLENOID VALVE, (C) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONTACTS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EXISTING FILAMENT SUPPORT-WIRES PROJECTING FROM SAID LAMP STEM WHEN AT ITS INDEXED POSITION TO CAUSE 